4 Hard Downs: Memphis 10, Re-Classing, Talking To Ballplayers
Blues Hall of Fame, Hueys, Family Plus ACC Kickoff and I hate re-classifying
I am on my way back from Memphis as I start this (finished in Charlotte). My kid wanted me to go to the pool and so after a weekend with my extended family, my immediate family needs some of me, I guess.
Did I take another hotel towel?
Always, whenever I go anywhere, Daddy’s gotta get a taste.
So I’m starting to write this before I get on the plane I am a same-day unpacker. Where do other folks stand on that; because I refuse to have a suitcase with things in it that I need to live.
Suitcase goes into the house, gets emptied in the downstairs guest bedroom, dirty clothes go right into dryer, toiletries get put back in the cabinet, suitcase goes back into the Russian Doll situation of every size, good sneakers go upstairs, clean clothes back in drawers, running gear re-staged. Any souvenir is put in its place.
Full Reset.
Since I’m working toward this full reset let’s go ahead and SPOT THE BALL!!!
1st Down: Walking In Memphis!!
My feet were 5 stories off of Beale, in my mind that might even be better than 10 feet off of Beale.
Had a great time seeing my family. Had a great time resetting before we get to the season for football and swim. Had a great burger. Had an insanely rough mallwalk the day I left.
My family went to the Lorraine Hotel for the Civil Rights Museum, an emotional experience that I missed out on because I was trying to get work done. However, I did go to the Blues Hall of Fame which was awesome and also didn’t make me cry.
Don’t worry, I would cry later that same day as my family talked about my grandma and my great grandma and my great aunt, all deceased. If you don’t know, I am a cryer and honestly, not sure I could have done it like my stronger family members did.
I also know I’m going to cry this week a lot because my family made these:
Books about my family’s experience in America.
It was a success of a weekend and those steps the further you get from Beale on the river path are treacherous:
Insane when you’re already a mile into it.
2nd Down: I Hate This
Love my family, it was great, do hate this.
Maybe it is because my parents and my wife were/are teachers. Maybe because it is some thing that clearly is about sports and not academic achievement or socially remaining a part of the community that kids build through school and youth sports.
It is a you decision to, “get your kid a scholarship.”
This isn’t for my lack of understanding. This isn’t for it being news to me.
This is, for me, realizing you want your kid to be good, outside of the normal system. This is, for me, realizing you don’t mind your kid taking a year off from school to train while you “homeschool” them, despite your qualifications.
This is, for me, a clear look at a problem in the early 2000s like Danny Almonte, where kids were held back or forged birth certificates so they would be the largest kid playing against younger, smaller players.
Get it with your peers, or don’t.
I hate this type of trying to game the system.
Your kid is either equipped for it or they aren’t. I come from a family of educators, who care about kids, none of them think this is great for actual development regarding education or socially.
Why is that important?
They’re not going pro; statistically, they’re not. So, being stunted socially and on the education landscape, and quite frankly a guy who is a grade above me disappears and comes back a year later in my grade? That’s a joke.
This isn’t keeping your kindergartner for an extra year because they were not prepared socially or educationally for school. This isn’t starting your kid in school a year late because they’re still not potty trained or socially or developmentally not ready.
This is, “I want my kid to play *insert sport* in college for free or cheaper, education be damned, they will be the biggest kid because they’re a year older.
A 19 year old in high school or a fringe 20 year old in high school is nasty work.
3rd Down: ACC Kickoff Today
Day one of three at the Uptown Hilton:
Already got to see a few of my guys, including Miller Yoho, Roddy Jones, Wes Durham and E-Mac. As I write this I’ve already talked to the guys from Miami, Stanford, SMU and Cal. Got UVA too.
Then tomorrow Pitt, Wake, FSU, Syracuse. Thursday Duke, NC State, Clemson and the Hokies.
Oh no UNC, you say, this is going to be a wild situation.
Multiple people still have no confirmation of having time with Bill Belichick. We don’t have the attendees meeting times for each radio row spot. This is will either be a disaster or a nightmare.
4th Down: Stanford Is Built Different
I talked to Simione Pale OG, Sam Roush TE and Tevarua Tafiti LB; didn’t get to talk to Collin Wright. The three guys I spoke to were ACC All-Academic Team guys, as was Wright a season ago.
To a man they spoke to how Stanford having an inclusive, non-siloed, athletic environment helps them grow and feel community. To explain, most football teams are isolated on multiple levels.
-Housing, on and off campus
-Environment, being kept at the facility as long as possible
-Dining, eating at their own individual facility
Stanford’s guys were proud of living on campus, eating with the other athletes and growing their involvement in the greater student-body/school community. It was refreshing to hear as we living a world of, as Frank Reich put it, “Me first.” They bragged about going to softball, volleyball,, baseball, basketball etc because they support each other.
Just cool to hear from the source.
Cheers!!!
Reading this while listening to you cover ACC days is phenomenal! Worth a listen to hear Roddy throw shade at EVERYONE not from Stanford.
Reclassification gives strong, “Pay thousands and thousands of bucks for a tutor to get my kid to go from a 24 to a 27 on the ACT” vibes and I hate that.